Electric power grids need to provide electric power in a reliable fashion. These grids may comprise energy storage systems that are used to improve power quality, energy flow and reliability. The energy storage systems may also be used to reduce peak demand and offer temporary relief in neighborhoods at risk to help prioritize and defer capital work to facilitate the integration of renewable technologies such as solar panels into existing power grids.
PCT Application Publication No. WO 2013/0167189 to Tenger et al. discloses a battery energy storage system arranged to be connected to a direct current capacitor, which is connected in parallel to a power converter. The battery energy storage comprises a battery module and a controllable voltage source adapted to inject a voltage opposite to a voltage ripple of the direct current capacitor.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0178992 to Graeve discloses an intelligent electronic control and communications interface module for a thermal energy storage module comprising means for bi-directionally communicating data between a thermal energy storage module and a smart grid, wherein the data comprises data concerning the current status of the storage capacity, and requests to store thermal energy or to discharge thermal energy. A thermal energy storage module is also disclosed and comprises such intelligent electronic control and communications interface module.
Although energy storage systems have been considered, improvements are desired. It is therefore an object at least to provide a novel community energy storage system.